Maybe it didn’t sound as bad at the meeting as it did in the paper, but the juxtaposition of two issues recently discussed by city, county and school officials seemed to drip with irony.

During the meeting, County Commissioner Jere McElhaney said he didn’t want county taxpayers footing the bill for after-school programs at Lawrence schools if grant money for the programs dries up. “I don’t want to be a safety net,” he said.

Yet, at the very same meeting county officials floated the idea of the city and county jointly operating Lone Star Lake, southwest of Lawrence, because private companies have had trouble sustaining services there.

It sounds sort of like a safety net.

So although the county wouldn’t want taxpayers to be caught holding the bag in support of after-school programs that provide supervision for children who might otherwise go home to an empty house, it is perfectly acceptable for taxpayers to subsidize unprofitable recreation services at Lone Star Lake.

Where are our priorities?

Those who support the after-school programs are trying to establish a cooperative effort to provide an important service for the community’s young people. Using grants, private donations and perhaps some taxpayer funds, the group hopes to piece together the funding to preserve the after-school programs at a number of local elementary schools. No one is being asked to accept financial responsibility to provide funding if other sources fall through.

That distinguishes it from many other activities that are supported by taxpayer dollars. The Eagle Bend Golf Course is a good example of taxpayer dollars being used to subsidize a service that continues to lose money. Taxpayer money truly is a safety net for the golf course, which many suggest is a far less worthy use of tax dollars that to support after-school programs.

Maybe the city and county shouldn’t get involved in funding the after-school programs. The demand for “safety net” funds for non-profit agencies in the community certainly has grown over the years. On the other hand, many local residents have voiced support for local tax measures to supplement local school budgets, which would seem closely related to the after-school programs.

Whether the county decides to contribute to keeping the after-school programs open or not, it seems ironic to oppose providing such a “safety net” while, at the same time, being willing to put more taxpayer money into recreation services at Lone Star Lake.